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The Iron Giant
The Iron Giant is a 1999 American animated science fiction comedy-drama film using both traditional animation and computer animation, produced by Warner Bros. Feature Animation and directed by Brad Bird in his directorial debut. It is based on the 1968 novel The Iron Man by Ted Hughes (which was published in the United States as The Iron Giant) and is scripted by Tim McCanlies. The film stars Eli Marienthal, Christopher McDonald, Jennifer Aniston, Harry Connick Jr., John Mahoney and Vin Diesel. Set during the Cold War in 1957, the film is about a young boy named Hogarth Hughes who discovers a giant metallic robot who fell from space. With the help of a beatnik artist named Dean McCoppin, they have to stop the U.S. military and a paranoid federal agent named Kent Mansley from finding and destroying the Giant. The film's development phase began in 1994 as a musical with the involvement of The Who's Pete Townshend, though the project took root once Bird signed on as director and hired McCanlies to write the screenplay in 1996. The film was created traditionally, with computer-generated imagery used to animate the title character and other effects. The understaffed crew of the film completed it with half of the time and budget of other animated features. Michael Kamen produced the film's score, recorded with the Czech Philharmonic. Upon its release, the film saw wide critical acclaim from critics and audiences. It was nominated for several awards, winning nine Annie Awards. Despite this acclaim, the film significantly under-performed at the box office, making 31.3 million dollars worldwide against a budget of 70-80 million dollars, which was blamed on an unusually poor marketing campaign. Through home video releases and television syndication, the film gathered a cult following and is now widely regarded as a modern animated classic. In 2015, an extended, remastered version of the film was re-released theatrically. Plot In October 1957, shortly after the Russian satellite Sputnik is put into orbit, an enormous robot from outer space crashes into the ocean near Rockwell, Maine. The robot makes its way inland and wanders into the forest. Nine-year-old Hogarth Hughes discovers the robot one night as it begins eating the powerlines of an electrical substation and electrocutes itself. Hogarth shuts down the power, saving the robot and returns home. Several days later, Hogarth makes it his mission to find the robot and take a picture. After hours of waiting, the robot surprises Hogarth, who soon befriends him. Suffering amnesia, the Iron Giant accompanies Hogarth wherever he goes. When they come across a railroad, the Giant starts eating the rails. Hearing an oncoming train, Hogarth tells the Giant to repair the tracks. As he does, the train collides, breaking him into pieces. The Giant's parts start to reassemble, and Hogarth hides the damaged robot in his house's barn, where the parts can repair themselves. Later, after dinner with his widowed mother Annie, Hogarth reads comic books to the Giant. The Giant is impressed with Superman, but discovers the comic 'Atomo the Metal Menace'. Hogarth reassures the Giant that he is more like Superman than Atomo. In the meantime, U.S. government agent Kent Mansley arrives, discovering possible evidence of the Giant. Finding Hogarth's BB gun near the substation, Mansley takes a room for rent at Hogarth's home and follows the boy around, hoping to learn more. Hogarth evades Mansley and takes the Giant to the junkyard for Dean McCoppin, a beatnik who had earlier befriended Hogarth, for shelter. Hogarth soon has to discuss death with the Giant after they witness hunters shoot a stag in the forest. Paranoid about alien invasion, Mansley alerts the U.S. Army to the presence of the Giant. When he and General Kenneth Rogard, backed by Army troops, force the investigation, Dean reveals the robot disguised as a scrap-metal artwork. Rogard admonishes Mansley and leaves. Later, Hogarth plays with the Giant using a toy gun, which automatically activates the Giant's weaponry. Dean saves Hogarth and demands the Giant to leave. Thinking the Giant never meant any harm, Hogarth runs after him. Dean finds the toy gun and realizes the Giant was only reacting defensively. He catches Hogarth with his motorbike as the Giant reaches town. In Rockwell, the Giant saves two boys from falling to their death, to the amazement of witnesses. The Army troops see the Giant, return and attack while requesting Navy and Air Force support. The Giant flies away with Hogarth, but is shot down by a missile from a USAF F-86. After crashing, the Giant thinks the unconscious Hogarth is dead; now enraged he regains his memory and activates his energy weapons and battles the outmatched Army. Mansley lies to Rogard that the robot killed Hogarth and suggests he can be destroyed at sea with a nuclear missile from the USS Nautilus. Hogarth wakes up and calms the Giant, causing him to deactivate his weapons. As Mansley keeps telling Rogard to attack, Dean says the Giant never harmed anyone. Seeing Hogarth alive, Rogard has the Army stand down, but before he can tell the Nautilus the same thing, a panicked Mansley orders the missile launch. Furious, Rogard reminds Mansley that the missile, currently targeted on the Giant, will also kill everyone in Rockwell. When Mansley attempts to flee, the Giant stops him and the Army forces Mansley to stay and die with them. Hogarth tells the Giant of Rockwell's impending fate and the Giant makes the decision to fly off, smiling to himself that he chooses to be Superman. The Giant collides with the missile, causing a massive explosion high in the atmosphere and saving the town. The townspeople are happy to have survived, but are saddened by the Giant's sacrifice. Sometime later, Annie and Dean are dating and Dean has built a statue in the park to honor the Giant. Hogarth receives a package from Rogard, a small bolt, the only piece of the Giant ever found. That night, Hogarth hears a familiar beeping coming from the bolt, which is trying to get out of the window. He opens the window to let the bolt out. Somewhere on the Langjökull Glacier in Iceland, parts of the Giant approach where his head rests. He wakes up and smiles. Voice cast * Eli Marienthal as Hogarth Hughes * Christopher McDonald as Kent Mansley * Harry Connick Jr. as Dean McCoppin * Jennifer Aniston as Annie Hughes * Vin Diesel as The Iron Giant * John Mahoney as General Kenneth Rogard * M. Emmet Walsh as Earl Stutz * James Gammon as Marv Loach and Floyd * Cloris Leachman as Mrs. Tensedge * Additional voices: Jack Angel - Atomic Holocaust Narrator, Truck Driver, Arthur the Soldier, * Bob Bergen - George The Army Diver Sub, * Mary Kay Bergman - Hogarth's screaming and sleeping sounds, * Michael Bird - Henry the Soldier, * Devon Cole Borisoff, * Rodger Bumpass - Rick the Soldier * Robert Clotworthy - Joe the Soldier * Jennifer Darling - Woman * Zack Eginton * Paul Eiding - John The Army Diver Sub * Bill Farmer - Robert The Army Diver Sub, * Charles Howerton - New England Villager * Ollie Johnston - Train Engineer #1 * Sherry Lynn - Maine Woman #2 * Mickie McGowan - Maine Woman, Screaming Waitress * Ryan O'Donohue - Student, * Phil Proctor - Jack the Soldier * Frank Thomas - Train Engineer #2 * Brian Tochi - Bob the Soldier, & Peter Jackson - Animals sounds Songs * Honeycomb (performed by Jimmie Rodgers) * I Got a Rocket in My Pocket (performed by Jimmy Lloyd) * Coming Home Baby (performed by Mel Tormé) * Duck and Cover (performed by Brad Bird, Shannon Gregory and Dean Wellins) * Blue Rumba (performed by Pepe Dominguin) * Genius After Hours (performed by Ray Charles) * Capitolizing (performed by Babs Gonzales) * Cha-Hua-Hua (performed by Eddie Platt) * Blues Walk (performed by Lou Donaldson) * Let's Do the Cha Cha (performed by The Magnificents) * Searchin' (performed by The Coasters) International releases For information about international dubs and releases, The Iron Giant/International. Category:1999 films Category:1990s American animated films Category:Animated science fiction films Category:Films produced by Allison Abbate Category:Films produced by Des McAnuff Category:Films directed by Brad Bird Category:Film scores by Michael Kamen Category:Warner Bros. animated films Category:Warner Bros. films Category:Half-Disney Feature Animation Category:Non-Disney animated films